Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Confession: I’ve never been a huge pumpkin pie person. But the people I love are (my husband included), so I set out to make a vegan pumpkin pie worthy of their Thanksgiving table.

The problem? Most of the recipes I tried were basically pumpkin pudding in a pie shell. I wanted a pie with real substance, with the dense, custardy texture I remembered from traditional egg-based pumpkin pie.

After much testing, here she is! Smooth, perfectly spiced, and firm enough to hold beautiful clean slices. No one at the table will guess it’s vegan. 🤫

You can totally make your pie crust from scratch, but if you choose to use a store-bought variety, this becomes the easiest recipe in the world. The hardest part is waiting for the pie to bake while your house fills with the delicious smells of fall!

Can’t get enough pumpkin? Start the day with my Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes or try some Vegan Pumpkin Bread and Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Why You’ll Love It

• Smooth custardy texture. Full-fat coconut milk plus a mixture of cornstarch and flour gives this pie a dense and perfectly sliceable filling.
• Classic, nostalgic flavor. Real pumpkin purée, warming spices, and a blend of brown sugar and maple syrup give it a super cozy flavor.
• Make-ahead friendly. This pie is best after a night in the fridge, so it’s a perfect way to cross dessert off your list ahead of time.
• Easy with a store-bought crust. Homemade crust is great, but a store-bought one makes this dessert so quick and simple.

Key Ingredients

• Pie crust. Homemade or store-bought both work fine in this recipe. Make sure to use a standard 9″ pie pan, not deep dish.
• Pumpkin purée. Libby’s makes my favorite. Make sure to buy 100% pumpkin purée and not canned pie filling.
• Brown sugar & maple syrup. I like this combination of sweeteners — they both add an extra depth of flavor compared to regular white sugar.
• Vanilla extract. It rounds out the spices and adds warmth.
• Coconut milk. Use the full-fat canned kind for the best results! This serves two purposes: it makes the filling creamy and luscious, and also helps it set, since coconut cream firms up when chilled.
• Pumpkin spice: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. I prefer blending my own so I can control the balance. This is the same cozy blend I use in my Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Muffins and Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
• Cornstarch & all-purpose flour. These replace the eggs. Together they thicken the filling to achieve that dense, custardy, sliceable texture.

Substitutions and Additions

• Graham cracker crust. You can totally swap the pie crust for a graham cracker crust! Bake it according to your crust recipe before adding the filling. Check that your graham crackers are vegan, since many contain honey. Nabisco Original Grahams are vegan-friendly.
• Homemade pumpkin purée. Yes, you can use it, but homemade purée tends to have more water in it. It needs to be as thick as commercially canned before it goes into the filling. Strain it in a cheesecloth-lined sieve for a few hours, or cook it down on the stove first.
• White sugar. Use 1/2 cup white sugar in place of the brown sugar, or 1/4 cup white sugar in place of the maple syrup. The texture will be fine, but the pie will have a little less depth of flavor and a brighter orange color, since brown sugar darkens the filling.
• Coconut cream. Canned coconut cream works in place of the coconut milk and makes the pie extra creamy and luscious.
• Store-bought pumpkin pie spice. Swap the individual spices for 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Brands vary, so taste a tiny bit of the filling and add more if you like.
• Other starches. Arrowroot or tapioca starch can replace the cornstarch.
• Spicier or less sweet. Bump the ginger up to 1 teaspoon for more kick, or cut back on the brown sugar for a less sweet pie.
• To serve. Top slices with vegan whipped cream and chopped toasted pecans.

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Step 1 – Prep the crust: Fit your crust into a standard 9″ pie pan (not deep dish) and chill it. For the crispest bottom, blind bake it first. (Full instructions are in the recipe notes.)

Step 2 – Melt the coconut milk: The cream in canned coconut milk separates and hardens, especially in cool weather. Warm the can up in hot water and shake well so your filling is silky smooth.

Step 3 – Whisk the filling: Whisk everything except the coconut milk first, breaking up any lumps of sugar and cornstarch. Then whisk in the coconut milk till smooth.

Step 4 – Bake: Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the edges are set and a little puffy. The center will have a very slight jiggle. Shield the crust edges around the halfway point.

Make Ahead & Storage

This vegan pumpkin pie is best made a day in advance, making it one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving day. (It’s chaotic enough.) Bake my Vegan Pecan Pie the same day and dessert is done!

Bake the pie as usual, then let it cool on the counter for at least an hour. Refrigerate uncovered until fully chilled, then cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap. After a night in the fridge, the filling has time to fully set, so you’ll get clean, picture-perfect slices when it’s time for dessert.

Storage: Store leftover pie covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. (It’s best within the first 3 days.) Keep it loosely covered.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie FAQs

More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

• Vegan Sausage Stuffing – Maybe the most popular side dish on Thanksgiving, this is an extra savory twist on the classic.
• Vegan Scalloped Potatoes – Slices of potato baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce.
• Vegan Chicken Pot Pie – Not a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but would be a hit on any holiday dinner table!
• Classic Vegan Stuffing – The classic version of Thanksgiving stuffing — fully plant-based.